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THE RETURN 

BY 

JOHN 

MALMESBURY 

WRIGHT 




PAUL ELDER AND 

COMPANY • PUBLISHERS 

SAN FRANCISCO 



5c ^03 
.3 



COPYRIGHT,i9i4 

BY PAUL ELDER AND COMPANY 

SAN FRANCISCO 



DEC 23 1914 

'--^ '-'■■ '■- V .> .i .,_, i X 
"1^ i 












A leader come si Let loud huzzas 
Burst from the extended line. 



THE RETURN 




I SEE the great Dome of 
the Invalides and un- 
der it the beautiful sar- 
cophagus at which all men 
gaze in wonder and hu- 
mility; but the massive sy- 
enite covering has moved 
aside, the casket within is 
open, it is empty, 

I see a little man in a 
gray cloak at the entrance 
to the office of the Presi- 
dent and I hear him de- 
mand admittance. 

[3] 



He passes in; the Presi- 
dent asks his wish. 

"I wish to save France." 

"And who are you, to 
save France?" 

"I am myself. Once I 
served the French people, 
as soldier, as Consul, as 
their Emperor." 

"And how may I know 
you are he of whom you 
speak?" 

"Mr. President, look at 
me! 

[4] 



I" 



His voice seemed the 
voice of God and godlike 
power shone from his eyes. 
The President knelt. 

"Sire!" 

"Call me not ^sire'. I 
have learned how false my 
dream of empire. Not 
again will I be Emperor." 

"What title will you 
have?" 

"Only the title given me 
by my soldiers on the field 
of victory, my dearest, 

[S] 



proudest name, the ^Little 
Corporal'." 

"And how will you save 
France?" 

"At the head of her 



armies," 



"And will armies obey a 
corporal?" 

"You shall see. I know 
what has been done, what 
not done,and that without 
me France will be crushed, 
and soon. Write." 

And the President wrote: 

[6] 



"Soldiers fighting for 
France, I am sending as 
your chief the Little Cor- 
poral — he will have no 
other name — who comes 
in this dark hour to save 
France. Soldiers, marvel 
not but obey." 

I see a train moving as 
a flame of light, bearing 
the Little Corporal to the 
hard pressed armies. 
I hear his commands: 

"General JofFre, dired 

[7] 



the defense of Paris. 

"General Pau, you re- 
mind me of Stengel; but 
draw your troops from 
Alsace, secure the border 
and join General French. 

"General French, you 
fight as Wellington fought 
me. You have done well. 
Continue. 

"Soldiers, I wear the 
sword of Austerlitz. Be- 
hold it, the Sword of Vic- 
tory!" 

[8] 



I hear as one voice, 
"Live the Little Corpo- 
ral", a shout that seems to 
reach the stars, so great 
the German pauses, fear- 
ing new armies. 

Well may you listen, 
well may you pause, proud 
and boastful man; for now 
the men you fight are led 
by the Master of Victory. 

I watch while new dis- 
positions are made, as the 
Little Corporal direfts. 

[9] 



I hear in all lands from 
all free men a joyous 
cry, "The Little Corporal 
fights for France." 

I see the coming of 
armies — from the cold 
northland, from burning 
Asian plains, from the 
sands of Africa, and from 
that Island Realm whose 
peoples all are free. 

The Little Corporal 
disposes all. 

I see long days of blood 

[lO] 



and death and the Little 
Corporal has the victory. 

Day follows day, and 
the German horde rolls 
back, northward, north- 
ward, through Amiens, 
past Lille, over the border, 
pursued ever by the Little 
Corporal. 

At fated Mons and 
Charleroi again through 
days and nights men fight 
and die, these for Free- 
dom, those for Empire. 

[II] 



I see the German ranks 
waver, break and fly. 

Their envoy comes, 
asking peace* The Little 
Corporal answers, "Tell 
your false War Lord I 
will make peace at Berlin, 
a peace that will last." And 
his armies cry their bat- 
tle word, "On to Berlin." 

Retreat, pursuit, con- 
tinue. 

At Waterloo the roll- 
ing mists take fearsome 
[la] 



shapes, of men long dead, 
the French who fought 
there, the Guard in serried 
rank, Cambronne, the 
horsemen led by Ney, the 
Emperor. 

No rock-like Wellesley 
can stay these, no Bluch- 
er's aid avail. In panic 
fright the German flies 
this awesome field. 

At last Berlin. From 
the Imperial Throne the 
Little Corporal speaks: 



"No more the Kaiser 
wears a crown. The people 
rule. People of Germany, 
Soldiers of England, Sol- 
diers of France, my work 
is done. Farewell." 

I see again the Dome 
of the Invalides and the 
Great Tomb beneath. All 
is in place where he whom 
France so loved, who so 
loved France, lies in his 
quiet sleep- 

San Francisco 
August 25, 1914 



C..-s;^--,r'.. -r -*K"- 




HERE ENDS THE RETURN AS WRIT- 
TEN BYJOHNMALMESBURY WRIGHT 
AND PUBLISHED BY PAUL ELDER AND 
COMPANY UNDER THE DIRECTION 
OF JOHN BERNHARDT SWART AT 
THE PUBLISHER'S TOMOYE PRESS, IN 
SAN FRANCISCO, NINETEEN HUNDRED 
AND FOURTEEN 



.VM,S.';i,S,J:.,Of; CONGRESS 



019 644 527 4 



